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Frank Ocean releases new song Nikes

Forget Boys Don't Cry. Frank Ocean fans of all genders have probably been reduced to tears of frustration this week, after the musician released an "endless river" of material (including surprise visual album Endless River) in the run-up to the launch of his new album.

As yet, there’s still no sign of the album itself – but Ocean has unveiled a new song, Nikes, along with a music video, and many people are speculating that it could be a track from the long-awaited follow-up to his 2012 debut, Channel Orange.

Frank Ocean has released his first music in four years

At midnight on Friday morning, Apple Music released Endless, a visual album from Frank Ocean.

This is not, however, the second album that the soul singer's fans have been waiting four years (and the past three weeks) for.

Instead, Endless is a surprise collection of songs that Ocean has recorded with input from musicians including Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood, James Blake, producer Arca and members of the London Contemporary Orchestra.

How can I listen to it?

As the New York Times reported two weeks ago, Apple Music are exclusively releasing Ocean's second album, Boys Don't Cry. It now transpires that the tech giant's subscription-only streaming service has exclusivity over Ocean's other releases too, including Endless.

The only way you can listen to Endless, therefore, is by signing up to Apple Music. The good news is that for the first three months a subscription is free. After that, you'll be charged £9.99. You'll need the Apple Music app and a login to sign up.

If you go to Ocean's website, boysdontcry.co, you will see the artwork for Endless. Clicking on this will take you to the iTunes store, where you can sign up for Apple Music – although you will have to download iTunes onto your device.

What about Boys Don't Cry?

Three weeks have passed since what was thought to have been the release date for Frank Ocean's long-awaited second album, and yet, there is still no sign of it.

On Friday morning, Rolling Stone reported that Apple Music would be releasing Ocean's second album this weekend. However, nearly a month ago the New York Times claimed that the record would be released on August 5, and we still haven't seen it.

Furthermore, the music magazine claims that Ocean has binned the title he's used for his forthcoming album for the past year, so whenever the album appears, it might not be called Boys Don't Cry.

What's happened so far?

On August 1, a live-stream appeared on Ocean's website that was watched globally by fans through Apple's Safari browser. Footage showed a blank studio space for several hours before a man – who may or may not have been Ocean – came on screen after several hours and chopped wood. No music was released.

A man appears and chops wood during the live-stream

Boys Don't Cry, Ocean's second album was originally set for release in July 2015, three years after the release of his acclaimed debut, Channel Orange.

As two Fridays, typically the release day for new music, have passed since the mysterious video, fans are getting impatient and starting to theorise about what has happened to Boys Don't Cry.

Earlier this week, Apple staff said to expect the album in coming dayss

The fact that Ocean's set-up seems relatively ready to go has led to speculation that the hold-up on the album is coming from Apple's side. In desperation, people have taken to asking the employees who answer Apple's support Live Chat when Boys Don't Cry is coming up – and some have answered that it could be this week.

Inspired by posts on Reddit, music writer Alex Silber used Live Chat and was told that Ocean's album would be released in 24-72 hours and that this timescale had been given by Ocean or his label, Def Jam.

A screengrab taken by Alex Siber of a conversation with Apple's Live Chat

Apple Live Chat employees confirm that Frank Ocean's 'content provider' has helped with the estimation of when the album may be released

Some thought Boys Don't Cry would be released in November

Ocean has been tracking the ever-changing release dates on his Boys Don't Cry website with this library card. As supposed release dates have come and gone, more credence has been given to the one saying November 13, 2016.

The library card that is posted on Frank Ocean's website

Boys Don't Cry magazine will be released digitally

Pages said to be from Ocean's Boys Don't Cry magazine emerged on Tumblr over a week ago, causing some people to think that it won't be a print publication, but part of a larger digital release to accompany the album.

On Reddit one user posted his interpretation of the code, suggesting that the site was ready for a far more elaborate upload than that which fans have already seen. However, now the album title has reportedly been abandoned, it remains to be seen what happens to an accompanying Boys Don't Cry magazine.

Neither the representative for Ocean nor Apple offered a comment to The Telegraph regarding the release. Until then, subscribe to (650)82OCEAN, a fan-built service that will email you when Boy's Don't Cry is released with a link to where you can listen to it. Nearly 18,000 people have signed up since it emerged online last week.

Alternatively, join in with the fans who are so devoted to Ocean that they have pushed Channel Orange back into the charts. Ocean's debut appeared at No 146 in the US chart Billboard 200 this weekend after a reported 40 per cent increase in sales (5,000 copies) and 35 per cent in audio and video streams.